Check out the Documents page from time to time for the latest Remote DX design documentation. This includes all current documents from the full design report to “as built” reports. The currently available documents are listed below:
Committee update
Your committee has met early in the New Year (committee meeting minutes are located elsewhere on this website). It resolved to form three working groups to progress development. Each working group has representatives from the committee, but we will adding other regular members to working groups as well.
If you have an interest in the following working groups, please let your committee know (by emailing info@remotedx.nz):
- Remote site development
- Broadband network development
- Software development
We recently held a working bee to test out the remote facilities under development. A report on this will be available shortly.
The website is undergoing development and will provide access to a greater range of information on what’s going on.
Inaugural Meeting 17 November 2016
RemoteDX Inc is now up and running! Thanks to the 19 people who turned out to agree to the formation of RemoteDX Inc.
Constitution
As we approach the inaugural meeting don’t forget that you need to raise any issues with the Constitution as soon as possible with Doug McNeill.
Welcome to RemoteDX
The Quartz Hill User Group (a committee of the Wellington Amateur Radio Club Inc) operated ZL6QH from Makara from 1997 – 2007. The arrival of a collection of wind generators on the site saw us departing as a result of the S9+40 interference!
For several years we searched for a replacement site. Eventually we came to the realisation that we weren’t going to find a site that would host a collection of long wire antennas (with 300m legs). We needed to rescale the vision! We came up with the idea of remote sites with a smaller footprint … using antennas such as fixed beam antennas on the higher HF bands and four square arrays on the lower bands.
With the support of our host branch (Wellington Amateur Radio Club Inc – Branch 50 NZART) the then Chair and Secretary/Treasurer of the Quartz Hill User Group (Mike ZL1AXG and Doug ZL2AOV) visited branches in the area to gauge interest in the creation of a new special interest group. There seemed to be quite a bit of interest with around 50 people signed up to receive email updates.
A plan was hatched to launch a new incorporated society in November 2016 that would administer any remote site(s) and related support technologies including the high speed regional broadband network used to transport signals into our home QTHs. RemoteDX is not about creating a new NZART branch, but rather it is about creating a regional support structure for joined up amateur radio projects in the region.
This site provides information about RemoteDX Inc, its current projects, and future projects planned to support amateur radio within the Wellington region.
Mike ZL1AXG
(updated May 2019)
QHUG committee to negotiate access to a site
The QHUG Committee is making good progress on the remote site equipment. Recent activity has included:
- Nearly complete fit out of the enclosure
- Purchase of a transceiver (IC7100) specifically for the site
- Approval to negotiate with a potential site owner
- Testing of software for remote control equipment
- Completion of base and remote control units
- Planning for solar panel installation
Fitting out of the Enclosure
Bernard ZL2BD has been busy over the summer installing the equipment for th Remote Site in the enclosure.
The enclosure (a ply box with inside and outside layers of fibreglass) is shown fitted out with:
- Wellington Amateur Radio Club (www.zl2wb.com) transceiver (Icom IC7410)
- Solid-state linears and power supplies (donated by Kordia Ltd)
- Switching regulators to provide 230v DC, 24v and 12v DC for the various items
- Two solar panel regulators
- Wiring harnesses to connect to the huge battery bank.
Progressive testing is imminent – any noise problems will be dealt with as they arise. A range of jobs remain including:
- Completing the antenna switching equipment
- Completing and testing the SCADA software to operate remotely (SCADA = Supervisory Controller & Data Acquisition). Frank ZL2TTS has been working on this.
- Cooling circuitry – both assembly and installation. The cooling equipment will be mounted on the enclosure’s front panel.
This work is not too far off being completed and the QHUG team will then move to a test period to ensure everthing works correctly, before antennas are constructed and the equipment is installed in the remote site.
Antenna systems overview
The QHUG remote HF station site has yet to be finalised. However, a couple of sites are being actively investigated.
The plan is to install four square antennas on the lower bands (80m, 40m and probably 20m) and to use fixed yagi antennas for higher bands.
Much of the cost of low band antennas is in buried radial systems.
Two QHUG committee members have been experimenting with construction of four square controllers (as indicated below)
Remote switching equipment is also being built. This includes four square switches and antenna switchs. Arduinos are being used at remote and base station to provide a physical controller at both ends. Bernard ZL2BD has designed the hardware and Frank ZL2TTS has been designing software.
Remote site enclosure
A remote site enclosure was purchased by the QHUG committee in September. The cabinet is approximately 960mm x 960mm x 1800mm. It is made of 18mm plywood and covered in fibreglass inside and out for a fully weatherproof finish. The door is fitted with two security locks.
This is an ideal enclosure for a remote site and was obtained at a very reasonable price. Thanks also to Malcolm ZL2UDF for facilitating transport of the enclosure to Wellington.
RemoteRig devices
The remote site will utilise RemoteRig devices to get control and audio signals to and from the remote site radio.
